Kalpana Chawla: Unknown facts about the first India-origin woman to go to space

Kalpana Chawla, India’s very own daughter who went on a journey beyond this world, would have turned 59 on March 17, 2021 had it not been for the unfateful day of February 1, 2003, when her space carrier called ‘Coloumia’ met a tragic accident while re-entering earth’s atmosphere. The Indian-origin astronaut, who moved to the United States at the age of 20, completed her post-graduation in the country in the field of aerospace engineering and moved on to be one of the most renowned experts. 

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Here are some lesser-known facts of one of the most highly celebrated humans who reached for the stars:

1) Her love for poetry

Apart from her love for flying, Chawla took a keen interest in the performing arts from a young age. She was known to be an active participant in her school’s cultural activities and was always leaned towards poetry and dancing. 

2) A graduate from India

Chawla, who later was awarded American citizenship, completed her graduation from India before moving to the United States. She always had a knack for flying due to which she pursued her graduation in aeronautical engineering from an institution, called Punjab Engineering College, not far from her birth place. 

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3) Honoured and not forgotten

Chawla has been served with many accolades and honorariums after the unfateful incident with her aircraft. Numerous scholarships and grants, mostly in the US, have been named after her to honour her memory. Northrop Grumman, a prominent aerospace organisation based in the US, has named a space aircraft after her. Moreover, SGI Altix 300, a supercomputer designed by NASA was dedicated to Chawla. 

Chawla, the first Indian-origin woman to take the outer space leap, is still fresh in the memory of both India and the US and continues to inspire the younger generations to take the path of science and exploration for the betterment of humankind.